Chicken prices rise by 25%

Chicken prices in South India jumped by 25% on the back of sudden decline in the broiler chick production in Palladam-Udumalaipet-Coimbatore region in Tamil Nadu, the Indian headquarters for chicken meat.

According to Broiler Co-ordination Committee (BCC), an apex forum to fix prices for broilers, the current farm-gate prices of live birds surged to Rs 41 per kg from Rs 29 a month ago.

Talking to FE, All India Poultry Product Exporters Association president Singaraj, said that the several top players in the broiler industry did not expect the sudden boom in the market, hence failed to increase the production during right time.

According to BCC, there was a shortage for hatching eggs (egg ready to hatch into chicks) during November and December 2005, since the southern poultry industry supplied more-than-regular-desptaches of hatching eggs to North India during the winter as the North Indian poultry farmers attempted to produce more broilers due to increased chicken meat consumption on the back of cold waves. u

However, the BCC said the prices would be stabilised in the month of February as the industry players have made adequate placements (Placing chicks in farms, which will be matured as chicken in six weeks time.) to meet the market demand.